UMass Lowell Streaming E-Video Reserves Policy

Exercising fair use for educational purposes is a right and not an obligation. It is fair use to make appropriately tailored course-related content available to enrolled students via digital networks. Video recordings in DVD/ VHS format or online streaming e-videos may be placed on reserve with the library for use in connection with course instruction. Streaming a video for use in a class, with students and faculty present in the classroom, is fair use. Making a streamed video available for students enrolled on a course as an “E reserve” is also considered fair use provided the following requirements are met.

1. A commercially available copy of the material is owned or licensed to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

a.Note: A course instructor may place their own personal, lawfully obtained, copy of a VHS or DVD on reserve in the Media Center. However, in order to digitize and stream a video for e-reserves, the library MUST own its own copy or license or have ordered a commercially available copy of the material. The university shall make every reason able effort to purchase the recording requested, giving priority to those that are for a course that will be taught multiple times.

2. All video reserves (either hardcopy or streaming) shall be made available ONLY of works that are being taught in the course AND that are assigned to students and listed in the syllabus. E-video reserves must be an integral part of the course curriculum as required by the instructor for course assignments. Pedagogical concerns should determine what content and what portion of any given work must be required viewing by students. Excerpts, as opposed to entire copies, should be used whenever possible.

3. Limitation: The number of entire works that may be digitized for a single course during an academic term shall not exceed the maximum number of works typically required for the course: approximately 10 items or 20 hours.

4. Online access to course materials shall be through password authentication only to students enrolled in a particular course. Only faculty, staff, and students teaching or enrolled in the course who have been presented by the instructor with a valid password shall be able to access the material. Individuals authorized to view the electronic reserve shall be able to access the password locked material both on and off campus.

5. Length of access time:

a. Once a title is digitized and made available to a class, the physical DVD or VHS tape is no longer available for loan or previewing since the University, in most cases owns only one copy. For this reason we ask that e-reserves, whenever possible, be limited to no more than a few weeks online viewing time for students. Once the videos are no longer online, students are always s welcome to come view or borrow the film from the Media Center.

b. All online reserve links will be deactivated at the end of finals every semester. Requests must be made for each semester that the material is needed.

6. Faculty, staff, and students may not copy, redistribute, modify, and/or archive any of the files streamed for course use. Access to the files shall be disabled at the completion of the course but course files may be stored for future re-use in accordance with these guidelines.